


Day Twelve - Simper

by rhyol1te



Series: Rhyolite's Writuary 2020 [12]
Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Don't copy to another site, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-12
Updated: 2020-01-12
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:29:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22231816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhyol1te/pseuds/rhyol1te
Summary: Combeferre, Enjolras, and Courfeyracstealborrow books from the library.
Relationships: Combeferre & Courfeyrac & Enjolras (Les Misérables)
Series: Rhyolite's Writuary 2020 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1590367
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14
Collections: Writuary 2020





	Day Twelve - Simper

**Author's Note:**

> Now to add to my Weirdest Google Searches: "recording of library closing announcement"

" _Good evening,_ " the loudspeakers say, " _the library will now be closing in fifteen minutes. Please check out any material you wish to take with you, as new material cannot be checked out once the library is closed. The library will open again at 10:00 on Wednesday -"_

"That's in _two days_ ," Combeferre says from behind an enormous stack of books, eyes wide with the horror of leaving the books he's looking at for two days.

"You _can_ check them out, you know," Courfeyrac says, leaning back in his chair. The chair, standing on two legs, gives an ominous creak.

"No I can't," Combeferre says. "My card's full."

"You mean you already have thirty books checked out?"

"It's not that many!"

Courfeyrac makes an expression that conveys the facts that a) it _is_ that many, and b) he will not be arguing with Combeferre about it.

"Bossuet has two library cards," Enjolras says, looking up from his book, "so he can check out sixty books."

"That's what I need," Combeferre says. "Two library cards. How did he do that?"

"The library thinks he's two different people," Enjolras shrugs. "I'm not sure why."

Combeferre looks at his library card. "Nah," he says, after a minute, "I'll figure that out later. For now I need to figure out how to get these books home."

"You could take a picture of every page," Courfeyrac suggests.

"You could memorize everything in them, and then write it down later," Enjolras says.

"You could put them in your backpack and then just bring them back when they'd be due," Courfeyrac says.

Combeferre looks thoughtful. "And it wouldn't be stealing," he says slowly, "because I'd bring them back when they'd be due."

"You'd just be borrowing them," Courfeyrac says, "which the library _wants_ you to do."

Enjolras looks slightly uncomfortable. "I'm going to go check out," he says, and gathers his own stack of books.

Courfeyrac gives him a thumbs up. "Alright," he says to Combeferre, "we probably can't fit all of these in your backpack, so are there some that you need the most?"

"Yeah," Combeferre says. "I'll just take pictures of the others, and get them on Wednesday."

With Courfeyrac's help, Combeferre manages to stuff three of the most essential books into his backpack. He zips it up just as the announcement saying that they only have five minutes until closing time plays.

Everything seems to be going fine until he remembers that he'll have to walk through the sensors at the doors of the library, the ones that beep when a book that hasn't been checked out goes through them.

Combeferre bites his lip, tries not to look guilty, and walks through with Courfeyrac. 

There is a loud and echoing _beeeeep_ as he clears the door.

"Sorry," the librarian calls to them, "I think that one of your books isn't checked out. Can you bring them here so I can check?"

"Sure," Courfeyrac says, and dumps his own (already checked out) books on the librarian's desk. "I think these are all good, though."

"Looks like they are," the librarian says. "Does your friend have any books in his bag?"

_We've been caught!_ Combeferre thinks, and tries not to look like deer in the headlights of a van that can ban him from the public library. He should have thought this through, he should have taken pictures of the books and gotten them on Monday, he should have - 

"Oh no," Courfeyrac simpers, his smile false and (to Combeferre's eyes) nervous. "Just textbooks and things."

"Huh," the librarian says, "it must have malfunctioned. You can go, just ignore it."

They do, drooping with relief after they make it through the scanner. 

"You know," Enjolras says as they're walking towards the bus stop, "I just realized that you could have just checked them out on my card."

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos make me super happy! <3


End file.
